Author Archives: Backstreeter

Abingdon (acrostic poem for our town)

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Poems about Abingdon
Alone I wander by the Thames
beside the Anchor inn and
in the space between deep
night and effervescent break of day
ghostly and grey
dawn the shadows of Brick Alley
over the broad flags
next to St Helen’s church.

Across the river
birdsong greets the dawn,
indifferent to my solitude,
needing only small
glimmerings of light
dappling pearlescent water to
orchestrate yet one more time
new life in Abingdon.

Paul Sheppy
2021

Thanks to Paul for an entry. A book of poems with pictures will be produced in the autumn – to be called Ten Poems About Abingdon.

Lockdown 3 – bird watching

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Like many people we have not been out a lot since lockdown 3 started on January 5th. A surge of Covid-19 cases led to hospital intensive care units becoming full, or near capacity, and so the government put in place this lockdown.
Lockdown 3
Today we stayed in, and I waited for visitors to come to us – for some pictures for the blog.

The birds must have plenty of other food out there because our well stocked bird feeder doesn’t seem to be getting many visitors this winter. I did see a flurry of sparrows at breakfast and then it was quiet again.
Lockdown 3
There have also been lone blue tits that flit in quickly and away again.
Lockdown 3
A Wood Pigeon landed in one of the trees. Usually the other birds throw so much food about that there is lots on the ground for Wood Pigeons to vacuum up, but not today.
Lockdown 3
A flock of pigeons circles round one of the houses in St Helen’s Court.
Lockdown 3
Flocks of gulls glide over as the sun goes down.

Abingdon Poets (1) – Willoughby Weaving, Ian Pindar, Andrew Jamison, Phanuel Bacon

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Abingdon Poets
Willoughby Weaving attended Abingdon School, and Pembroke College. He was a teacher in Ireland and signed up at the start of the first World War to serve in the Royal Irish Rifles. After being invalided out, he returned to teach and became a prolific poet. He is now mostly forgotten apart from some war poems – revisited during the recent 100 year remembrance of the first world war). Here is a poem written in 1920

Before Thunder

In one vast cloud the skies were clad;
There was a silence worse than sound
Discordant, such as makes men mad
In muffled dungeons underground,
When first they sing, and scream to save
Their deafening reason from the grave,
That living grave of worse than death.
There was no stir of lightest breath
But hot stagnation in the air
Like a suspended horror there
Poised at its utmost by the stress
Of unimaginable excess
Birth-bound. Then suddenly at last
The lightening like a lancet passed,
And all that fierce and maddening strain
Fell ruining with routs of rain.

Ian Pindar first came to public attention after the National Poetry Competition in 2009. You can read his successful poem, Mrs Beltinska in the Bath, at https://poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poets/ian-pindar/. Ian was interviewed by the Oxford Mail and said “The reason I love poetry is because it is ambiguous – there is mystery there.”

Here Ian is reading one of his poems from a collection called Constellations

Andrew Jamison is another contemporary poet who works as a teacher at Abingdon School. He comes from Ireland.  Here is Andrew reading September

Abingdon Poets
Another poet who attended Abingdon School was Phanuel Bacon. He became a clergyman in the mid 1700s. One of his poems can be found on a very specific blog called The snipe in Literature where you can read the full poem.

The Snipe

I’ll tell you a story, a story that’s true,
A story that’s dismal, and comical too;
It is of a Friar, who some people think,
Tho’ as sweet as a nut, might have dy’d of a stink.
Derry down, down, hey derry down.

This Friar would often go out with his gun,
And tho’ no great marksman, he thought himself one;
For tho’ he for ever was wont to miss aim,
Still something but never himself was to blame.
Derry down, &c.

It happen’d young Peter, a friend of the Friar’s,
With legs arm’d with leather, for fear of the briars,
Went out with him once, tho’ it signifies not
Where he hired his gun, or who tick’d for the shot.
Derry down, &c.

Away these two trudg’d it, o’er hills and o’er dales,
They popt at the partridges, frighten’d the quails;
But, to tell you the truth, no great mischief was done,
Save spoiling the proverb, as sure as a gun.
Derry down, &c.

But at length a poor Snipe flew direct in the way,
In open defiance, as if he would say,
“If only the Friar and Peter are there,
I’ll fly where I list, there’s no reason to fear.”
Derry down, &c.

…

All rights reserved for the two poems quoted.

Abingdon 100 years ago – January 1921

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8th January 1921
Abingdon 100 years ago

Cyril Stacey, West St. Helen Street, and a Scholar of the Abingdon Church Boys’ School, has been awarded a county junior scholarship tenable at Roysse School, Abingdon. (He did not have to pay the £58 fees)

The Abingdon Vineyard Sub-post Office has been transferred to No. 38, the business premises of Mr A. Gammage grocer.

Mr and Mrs Frederick Mills, of Maud Hale Villas, the Bridge. Abingdon, celebrated their golden wedding, and were the recipients of numerous congratulations.

The funeral of retired Abingdon solicitor, Mr Walter James Sedgefield, aged 81 years, of Bath Street, Abingdon, took place in the Cemetery, on Thursday in last week in the presence of a large number sympathisers and friends, including the Mayor, and several Magistrates and Town Councillors. Deceased was for nearly 50 years Registrar of the Abingdon County Court and Clerk to the Borough Magistrates. Although deceased did not take an active part in the public life of the town, and was of a somewhat retiring disposition, he was ever ready generously to help in the causes of local charities and public institutions.

Services of United Prayer meetings were held in Abingdon, on Monday and Tuesday in St. Nicolas Church, and on Wednesday and Thursday this week at the Abingdon Wesleyan Church. The special subjects of prayer are respectively classified for international peace, social peace, peace and unity among Christians, and the Kingdom of God in the world.

15th January 1921
Abingdon 100 years ago

Ralph Brenyan, baker, Edward Street, Abingdon, was charged with being drunk whilst driving a trade motor car in the parish of St. Helen’s Without, Abingdon, on January 1st, and also without having lights attached. For the first offence defendant was find £5 and 16s costs, and for the second offence a fine of £2 was imposed.

Miss A. L. Smith, for many years connected with the Abingdon Post Office as supervisor, has been presented with a purse of Treasury notes, subscribed for by the past and present staff, on her retirement. The presentation was made last Week by the Postmaster on behalf of the subscribers.

The Abingdon Church Sunday Schools gave their annual entertainment in the Corn Exchange on Wednesday evening in last week. The programme consisted of a variety of action songs, sketches, dances, &c. The hall was well filled by an appreciative audience.

The number of cases treated during the past quarter in the Abingdon Isolation Hospital was 67, viz., 53 of diphtheria and 14 of scarlatina, sent from the contributory places as follows;—Abingdon Urban and Rural, 37; Wantage Urban and Rural, 11; Ramsbury, 2; Goring, 1; Bradfield, 3; Faringdon, 1; and Witney. 13.

22nd January 1921
Abingdon 100 years ago
Mrs Asquith has presented the secretary of the Abingdon Y.M.C.A with a copy of her autobiography, bearing the following inscription: ‘As a token of my great respects for this wonderful institution, Margot Asquith.’

The adult members of St Helens Church Choir, Abingdon, were entertained by the Churchwardens to a capital supper and musical evening, in the Roysse Room on Wednesday evening of last week. The Vicar presided.

The inmates of the Union Workhouse were given another entertainment on Thursday evening last week, when the programme was arranged by Miss M Beckett, one of the Church School teachers. Mrs Reynolds (Guardian) presided, and the programme consisted of songs, etc., and a short play by juveniles and friends.

The marriage of Captain Hugh Baillie, eldest surviving son of the late Major Baillie, J.P., of Caldecott House, Abingdon, with Miss N Ferre, daughter of Lt. Col H.M. Ferrer, C.B.E. Took place last Thursday at Holy Trinity Church Kennington Gore. The Church was fully decorated for the occasion and the service was fully choral. The ceremony was performed by Rev. H. Blackmore, D.S.O., M.C., chaplain to the King, who was assisted by the Vicar of Abingdon.

29th January 1921
Abingdon 100 years ago
On Thursday evening last week, the Congregational Church War Memorial, a new oak pulpit, was unveiled by a former pastor, the Rev. A. T. Rose. The service was very impressive, the anthem being ‘What are these.’ and the hymn ‘For all thy Saints’ was reverently rendered. The pastor Rev. C. Gil preached an appropriate sermon.

Last Friday evening Mr Arthur Chivers, bootmaker, aged 61 years, 11 Edward Street, Abingdon, died suddenly in Abingdon Baptist Chapel, Ock Street. It appeared deceased went to the choir practice, and whilst waiting near the door for other choir members to come fell down dead, from heart failure. An inquest was not considered necessary.

The Rev J.P. Morris, the newly appointed minister of Abingdon Baptist Chapel was heartily welcomed on Thursday last week at a social gathering in the Schoolroom.

The Bowling Club held their last whist drive of the winter season, when about 200 were present.

The Abingdon Horticultural Society’s annual meeting took place last week at the municipal buildings. Mr J.S Simpson presided. The accounts showed a total income of £223 15s 6d which included gate money at the August show of £81 5s 9d and subscriptions of £57 1s. Prizes amounted to £41 9s. The next show was fixed for Thursday August 11th.

At the police court, Alfred Welsh, clerk, 19, Exbourne Place and Mary Wheeler of Shippon were both fined 1s 6d for riding a bicycles on the footpath in Faringdon Road.

At the County Bench, James Welsh, described as a stableman, of no fixed abode, was charged with stealing a bicycle and sentenced to a months hard labour.

Thank you for the extracts to the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette on the British Newspaper Archive